Gareth Bale
| cityofbirth = Cardiff | countryofbirth = Wales | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Winger | currentclub = Real Madrid | clubnumber = 11 | youthyears = - 2005-2006 | youthclubs = Cardiff Civil Service Southampton | years = 2006-2007 2007-2013 2013- | clubs = Southampton Tottenham Hotspur Real Madrid | caps(goals) = 40 (5) 146 (42) 88 (50) | nationalyears = 2005–2006 2006 2006–2008 2006- | nationalteam = Wales U17 Wales U19 Wales U21 Wales | nationalcaps(goals) = 7 (1) 1 (1) 4 (2) 47 (14) | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh footballer who plays for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Wales national team as a winger. Bale began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left back and earning acclaim as a free kick specialist. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee. During his time at Spurs, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform into a more offensively-orientated player. From the 2009–10 season, Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. He was named PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2011 and 2013, and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2011 and 2013. Bale has received plaudits from his peers, who have described him as a footballer with "tremendous speed, great crossing ability, a great left foot and exceptional physical qualities". During the 2012–13 season he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year, the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year awards. On 1 September 2013, he was transferred to Spanish team Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. The Spanish press (and Real Madrid TV) reported £77 million (€91 million), while the English press reported a world record transfer fee of £85.3 million (€100 million), which would be above Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer record fee of £80 million (€94 million). In December 2013, Bale was ranked by The Guardian as the seventh-best footballer in the world. Honours Clubs ;Southampton Academy * Premier Academy League: 2005–06 ;Tottenham Hotspur * League Cup: 2009 runner-up ;Real Madrid * UEFA Champions League: 2013–14 * Copa del Rey: 2013–14 * UEFA Super Cup: 2014 Individual * Football League Championship PFA Team of the Year: 2006–07 * Football League Young Player of the Year: 2007 * FAW Young Player of the Year: 2007 * Tottenham Hotspur Young Player of the Year: 2009–10,> 2010–11 * Wales Player of the Year Award: 2010, 2013, 2014 * BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year: 2010 * BBC Wales Carwyn James Junior Sportsman of the Year: 2006 * Premier League PFA Team of the Year: 2010–11, |2011–12, 2012–13 * FWA Footballer of the Year: 2012–13 * PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2010–11, 2012–13 * PFA Young Player of the Year: 2012–13 * UEFA Team of the Year: 2011, 2013 * Premier League Player of the Month: April 2010, January 2012, February 2013 External links *Real Madrid profile * *Wales profile *Premier League profile *ESPN Soccernet Profile *Transfermarkt Profile * Category:1989 births Category:Midfielders Category:Southampton F.C. players Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players Category:Real Madrid C.F. players Category:Players Category:Welsh players Category:Living people Category:UEFA Euro 2016 players Category:Wales youth international players Category:Wales under-21 international players Category:Wales international players Category:Defenders Category:Premier League players Category:English Football League players Category:La Liga players